Button-holder.



AA. H. GUSHMAN. BUTTON HOLDER.4 APPLIATION FILED JULY 27, 191o`l 987,051. fPatentea Mar.v14,'1911.

WITH EEEEE:

MW. W' Y u/a J. welufyl ALBERT H. CUSHMAN, `OE CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MORLEY BUTTON MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON,. MASSACHUSETTS, .A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BUTTON-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. la., 1911.

Application filed July 27, 1910. Serial No. 574,198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. CUsi-IMAN, a citizen of the United States, and reside-nt of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Button-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to button holders for tufting machines of the kind in which a large number of holders are mounted on a single board or base of the mold or former, to support the tufting buttons or nails by their heads with their shanks extending vertically upward.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, Figure l is a side view of a button holder embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical, central section through the button holder shown in Fig. l, with the upper section extended; Fig. 3 is a similar vertical, central section showing the upper section of the button holder depressed; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said button holder viewed at right angles with Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a plan view of said button holder; Fig. 6 is a vertical, central section of a modification of said button holder, showing the upper section extended; and Fig. 7 is a similar section of the button holder shown in Fig. 6 with the upper section depressed.

Referring first to the form of button holder shown in Figs. l to 5 inclusive, c represents the lower section of the button holder, and Z) the upper section. The lower section a is preferably vin the form of a cylindrical post, provided with a central, longitudinal bore a, and is secured to the tufting board or base A by means of a screw a2 passing through the bottom of the lower section with its head lodged in the bottom of the bore. The upper section is mounted to slide vertically with relation to the lower section by means of the plunger or stem which has a sliding fit in bore a. The upper face of the section b is hollowed or recessed as shown at Z22 to fit the head B of a tufting button. Iivoted to opposite sides of the upper section o are a pair of button clamps b3, mounted to swing on pivot pins 224 passing through ears b5 of the clamps and through a flattened portion of the section Z). Each clamp b3 is made with a downwardly extending arm which terminates short of the lower section when the upper section' is extended. .A spring s lodged in a hole in section Z9 is held in compression between the two arms Zic and tends yieldingly to hold the clamps b3 normally in closed position, and the arms b in t-he position of extreme separation from each other. The bore a of the lower section is provided with a notch a3, preferably in the form of an annular groove, to engagethe latch at, mounted in a hole in stem b from which spring s tends normally to project it. The latch at operates as a stop to prevent the withdrawal of the upper section from the lower section and also serves yieldingly to hold the upper section extended and prevent it from falling by its own weight or from being accidentally pressed down while the button head is being placed between the clamping jaws as hereafter described.

The button holder normally stands with the upper section extended. To insert a button, the operator holds the button head downward and spreads the clamps 3 apart with the button head either by pressing the head of the button directly downward or preferably by inserting one edge of the head under one of the jaws o with the button shank in inclined position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and then swinging it to upright position forcing the clamps apart to permit the head to pass between. It will be understood that the clamps b3 are free to swing by overcoming the tension of spring' S since the arms 6G are clear of the end of the lower section a. The button is then held upright as shown in Fig. l, and in solid lines in Fig. 2. The upper section is then pressed downward, the stem o sliding lengthwise in the bore a', whereupon the extensions b3 of the clamps slip over and engage the end of the lower section c, which affords a clamp engaging surface securely holding said clamps in closed position as shown in Fig. 3. So long as the upper section is depressed no amount of lateral pressure on the shank Of the button will tilt the same or dislodge the button head from the holder. After Y. 'j v d 987,051

the cushion istufted all that is necessary to do to remove thek button from the holder is to pull it upward.I The first part of theupj ward pull lifts the upper section, thus removing the arms b from their locking surfaces and unlockingthe clamps. Continued pull on the buttons causes the button-head B to spring the'clamp's b3 kapart and/permit 1 as cams,"coperating with the arins h6 to swing the clamps into closedposition. VIn

this form of button holder the clamps are normally urged toward open position, as shown in Fig. 6, by spring s2 located above vthe Vpivots ofV the clamps. Thus it will be seen that-when the upper section is extended Vthefends of arms b will rest against small' Y part a7 of the lower section, permitting the clamping jaws to be held open by spring s2. Toy insert a buttonv the operator places the button-head in the recess at the top of the upper section and Yat the same time presses do-wn causing the upper section to move downward and the arms be to ride up the lcam surfaces a5, thereby closing the jaws jupon the buttonhead. When moved fully down the arms b'leave the cam surfaces Y and engage the dwell surfaces a, which are .parallel with the axis Vof the lower section,

thereby locking the clampsl in closed Aposition. The dwell surface a@ corresponds to the locking surfacera6 of the other form showny in Figs; 1 to 5. A pin as extending acrossthe bore a and through a slot 57 in stem b serves to limit-the outward movement of the upper section. The button is removed, as before described, by an upward pull, which simultaneously extends the upper section, unlocking the clamps, and releases the buttonheadby the opening of the clamping jaws as the arms b ride up the cam surfaces a5. The latter part `of the upward Vmovement isY Vassisted by spring s2 which tends to press the arms be inward against the inclined surface a5, thus thrusting the upper section upward.

vIn the form shown inV Figs. 1 to 5' a hole section Ycommunicating with the lannular that the latch a* comes opposite this hole, the latch may bepushed back out of engagement' with the notch by means of Vany suit- Y able'po'inted implement, and the'upper section withdrawn.

Easy access is` thenhad j to screw a2 for the purpose of applying the a9 is provided through the wall of the lower button holder to, or removing it from the board A.

I claim 1. A button holder comprising two sections relatively movable lengthwise, the lower section adapted to be secured to a base, and the upper section providedfwithbuttonholding clamps, said clamps being normally closed in all positions of the upper section and adapted yieldingly t0 hold a buttonhead in operativeV position when, thev upper section is extended, and the lower section being provided with a clamp engaging surface adapted positively to lock said clamps in closed positionwhen thev upperr section i's moved downward, yand va spring actuated latch adapted yieldingly to holdsaid upper section in extended position.

2.k A button holder comprising a lower section provided with a longitudinal bore, an upper section having a stem mounted to slide in said bore, button Vclamps p'ivoted to said upper section provided -withf downwardly extending arms, said lower section having a locking surface, and said arms adapted to engage said locking surface positively to lock said clamps in closed position when the upper section is moved downward and to disengage from said locking surface when therupper section is extended, and a spring pressed latch carried said stem pressing against thel surface of said bore adapted yieldingly to hold said upper sec- Vtion in extended position.

Y 3. A button holder comprising a lower section provided with a longitudinal bore,

van upper` section having a stem mounted to slide in said bore, and button clamps-pivoted to said upper section provided with downwardly extending arms, said lower sectionlmvvingY a. locking surface, and said arms adapted to engage said locking surface positively to lock said clamps in closed position when the upper section is moved downward and to disengage from said locking surface when the upper section is extended, said bore having a notch therein, and a spring pressed latch carried by said stem adapted to'v engage` said notch both to prevent the withdrawal of said Vstem from said bore and yieldingly to hold saidy upper section in extended position. Y

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 12th day of July 1910. v

Y ALBERT H. CUSHMAN.

Witnesses: i Y i ROBERT CUSHMAN,V

CHARLES D. WoonBEnRY.

Y Copies of Ythis patent maybe obtainedY for ve centsk each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' f Washington, D. C. f 

